Telegraph installation



Dec. 3, 1940.

M. HEBEL ETAL TELEGRAPH INSTALLATION Filed June 21, 1938 a Sheets-Sheet 1 D 3 19 0. M. HEBEL Em 2.224.078

TELEGRAPH INS TALLAT I O N v Filed June'21, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 3, 1940. M HEBEL ETAL I Z.224,078

TELEGRAPH INSTALLATION Filed June 21, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Maria: Heel A 1/? Karl Gmzailfuzyer Patented Dec. 3, 1940 V UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TELEGRAPH INSTALLATION Application June 21, 1938, Serial No. 214,994

9 Claims.

This invention relates to telegraph apparatus in which the various current impulses of a train have to be distributed selectively to a number of electromagnets controlling the selection of the type to be printed. For this distribution of the current impulses it is usual in telegraph installations to make use of rotary distributors.

One object of the invention is to provide new and useful means for de-energising the preliminarily energised selecting magnets of a telegraph apparatus when an impulse is received over the line. Thus, faults which may occur owing to sluggish response of the magnets are elminated.

Another object of the invention is to provide new and useful means for preliminarily energising the selecting magnets of a telegraph apparatus, whereby the magnets remain de-energised as long as no impulse trains are being received.

Still another object of the invention is to provide new and useful means for utilising only a small part of each impulse received over the line for the de-energisation of the corresponding selecting magnets.

In a telegraph apparatus according to the invention, a rotary distributor first of all causes the selecting magnets to be successively energised and then makes the energisation of the magnets dependent upon the received impulses. The magnets are normally de-energised and, therefore, the load on the source of current supply is'small. Also, as they are energised successively, the instantaneous load on the current supply is small.

According to another feature .of the invention, the rotary distributor, after closing energising circuits for the selecting magnets, causes a weakening of the energisation of each magnet. Thus, the energisation of each magnet is weak at the moment when its energising circuit is dependent upon the received impluse. If no impulse is received, the magnet quickly releases its armature and opens its associated circuits and prevents further energisation.

Other features of the invention will be explained in the following description of examples of circuit-arrangements in accordance with the invention which are shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figures 1-3 show three difierent forms of the principal circuits of and controlled by a distributor in accordance with the invention arranged for use in a telegraph apparatus such as that shown and described in my United States Patent No. 2,090,944.

In all the arrangements shown in the draw- Germany August 22, 1936 ings, there are 5 selecting magnets MA, MB, MC, MD, wl-w9 so that the driving spring F is retensioned whenever it is used to drive the shaft W.

In the circuit arrangement illustrated in Figure 3 there are 5 selecting magnets MA, MB, MC,

. MD, ME which are or are notnenergised according to the nature of the five impulses of which each signal train is here assumed to be made up. The five selecting magnets control five permutation members which, according to their setting, enable a particular one of 32 actuating members to be selected. These actuating members are held out of engagement with the permutation members during movement of the latter) by a magnet I-IM. When permutation members have been set, the actuating members are released by the magnet HM and one of the latter members is selected and prepares, for example, a type bar so that a type corresponding to the incoming signal can be printed on energisation of the magnet DM.

Each signal impulse train is preceded by a start impulse consisting of an interruption of the current flowing in the line VL. The start impulse is received by and causes the de-energisation of a normally energised line relay J which is connected to the line by the transmitting relay S, the contact SI of which is normally closed.

In the arrangement shown in Figure l, the contact 9' of the relay J closes a circuit for the distributor starting magnet FM. It also closes a circuit for an auxiliary relay VE and a circuit for the selecting magnet MA. The starting magnet FM is only momentarily energised because on energisation, the relay VE opens its circuit at the contact veZ. When energised, the starting magnet FM attracts its armature FA which normally engages with a cam s on a disc SD and holds the shaft W of the distributor against rotation. When on attraction of the armature FA the shaft W is released, it is driven by a motor or a spring not shown. The distributor shaft carries a number of wipers wl to wt each arranged to wipe a diiferent one of a number of contact banks. The wipers ml to are angularly staggered. Each of the contact banks has four contacts kl to M of different lengths. On response, the relay VE locks up in a circuit running over the contacts oel and 11:25 and the wiper wt which normally rests on a conducting contact of its bank. The energising circuit for the magnet MA runs over the wiper wl which normally rests on a supplementary contact kll.

When on rotation of the wipers, the wiper wl leaves its normal position, the energising circuit for the magnet MA is opened but a further energising circuit is then closed when the wiper reaches the contact kl. This circuit is independent of the contact 7'.

The wipers 102, 1123, 1.04 and 1115, in the same way close energising circuits for the magnets MB, MC, MD and ME successively. All selecting magnets are thus energised and, by attracting their armatures cause the permutation members to be preliminarily set. The magnet HM which holds the actuating members .out of engagement with the permutation members is, at this time, energised, as the contact 'ue i is closed.

The wipers wl-wfi rotate at a constant speed and the current impulses received through the transmission line VL come in at a cadence suited t9 the speed of the distributor and to the are lae sn of h Vari u onta t in e, e 1 taet banlrswiped by the wipers of the distributor.

During the first portion of the first selecting impulse to be received, i. e. the first impulse after "t e sta mpu e he wiper wl of the ib l f i than en te e on t k2. A

e e R1! is t us conn n e e igg ei u 't. o h ma n t A so th t the enersation 01f the latter is weakened to such an exest a t s abl to ma ntain its armature attested: T e nta ts met an e eentrelled by the armatu are u e d lo d During the middle portion of the first selecting impulse, the i r w br u ht o to the c n t h so that the ener sing circuit for the magnet MA sew ej e iee les den up v th o a l of the receiving relay J. If, at this moment, the contact 7' is' open owing to the fact that there is a current flowing in the line which maintains the relay J energised, the energising circuit for the magnet MA is opened. This magnet therefore releases its armature and cannot be enerised again; If however, there is no current in he line; h e e sisine e re i fer the. a n t MA is maintained so that the contacts mat and ma? remain closed and even if the wiper wl passes on immediately to the contact k t, the magnet MA still remains energised in the circuit running over the contacts 712112 and vet.

As the wipers of the distributor rotate at a uniform speed, the length of the contact k3 determines the period during which the magnet MA is influenced by the selecting impulse received through the line The wipers wZ to wfi, are displaced relatively to the wiper w! so that the operations described above in connection with the wiper wt and the magnet MA are repeated for the wiper 2 and the magnet MB during reception of the second selecting impulse, for the wiper 103 and the magnet MC during the third selector impulse and so on. The various magnets MA to ME are thus successively acted upon by portions of the successively arriving selecting impulses.

The locking circuit for the relay VE is opened by the wiper wt at about the beginning of the fifth selecting impulse and a circuit is closed forrelay PR. The relay VE is slow to release so that its armature is not immediately released. The relay DR is also slow-acting and responds when the wiper w5 leaves the contact 703 and reaches the contact k4. When the contact 121-2 opens, the circuit for the magnet HM is opened so that all the. actuating members, which so far,

have been held by that magnet, are released and come into contact with the permutation members which have been set by the magnets MA to ME. A particular one of these actuating members is allowed to take up a selecting position in accordance with the setting of the permutation members. When the contact drl closes, a circuit is closed for the magnet DM. By the time the magnet DM responds, the selected actuating member has already prepared a type lever or the like which on being actuated by the armature of the magnet DM causes a type corresponding to the received signal to be printed. When the contact dm closes on response of the magnet DM, a circuit is again closed for the magnet HM so that the actuating members are again brought out of contact with the permutation members. As the magnet FM is not energised, the shaft W and the wipers wl to wt are again stopped. During this time, the relay VE allows its armature drop. This can b ene to ap n as en a n act at n emb h s aken p a le tin o i on- As the line VL is always restored to its normal condition for a time equal to the duration .of one impulse after reception of the selecting impulses and as in this condition the relay J is energised, the relay VE is not r e-energised The relay DR releasesslowly when the wipers have returned into their normal position. If a second signal is transmitted through the line immediately after the first, the shaft W of the distributor is released for a new rotation immediately it has returned into one of its normal positions. The armature of the relay DR. drops during the reception of the start impulse of the next signal train so that it can do no harm.

In Figure 1, the selecting magnets MA to ME are each connected to a wiper of the distributor. The arrangement illustrated in Figure 2 allows a smaller number of wipers to be used. Here, only two wipers, wl and 202, are provided for controlling the five selecting magnets which have two differential windings and which are preparatorily and successively energised through their upper windings and the wiper wl. When this happens, the contacts ma] to me! are thrown and the upper windings are locked in a circuit running over a resistance R, dimensioned so that the magnets are just able to hold their armatures attracted. During the reception of that part of each signal impulse which is to act on a selecting magnet, a circuit for the lower winding of that magnet, is closed through the wiper 102; This circuit runs through the contact 7' of the receiving relay J. If the receiving relay-J is not energised when the lower winding is switched in, current flows through that winding and ensures that the armature drops. If, however, the receiving relay J is energised at that moment, no counter energisation of the selecting magnet takes place and the armatureremains attracted in the locking circuit.

The wiper 102 thus comes on to the contacts connected to the various lower windings of the selecting magnets after the wiper wl comes on to the contacts connected to the corresponding upper winding. This is ensured by a suitable disposition of the contacts in the various contact banks. In order that the magnet MA which is to be acted upon by the first selecting impulse shall be energised in time, the circuit for its winding I is closed as soon asthe receiving relay J drops during the start impulse independently of the wiper wL This circuit includes the con tact ve'! of the auxiliary'relayVE whichis energised-when the startimpulse arises. During the arrival of the successive current impulses the selecting magnet MA cannot therefore be influenced again by contact'a'.

Otherwise, the arrangement shown in Figure 2 operates in exactly the same manner as that illustrated in Figure- 1. 4

In the arrangement illustrated in Figure 3 an intermittently stepped selector switch gear is used for distributing a train of impulses. The wipers of a distributor of this kind remain sta tionary during receptionof the various impulses. This makes it relatively simple with the assistance of adjustable relaydevices to use only a small'part of each impulse. InFigure 3, as in the other figures, there is a line relay J and there are five receiving magnets MA to ME. The distributor has seven wipers ml to W7. The wipers wl to 105 serve to distribute the various impulses over the five receiving magnets MA to ME. The wipers 106 and w! effect local operations which will be described later on.

The distributor arms are stepped by the mag net D. This magnet D is controlled by the relay interrupter N, O, the interruption time of which is such that the distributor makes about fifty steps per second. Instead of the two relays N, O. a self-interrupting contact may be used. The exact number of steps can be' adjusted by adjustment of the variable resistances Rn and R connected in series with the relays N and O. The wiper m6 closes a circuit for the driving magnet D which causes that magnet to remain actuated until the wipers of the distributor again reach their rest position.

A number of alternately energised driving magnets may instead be provided for stepping the wipers of the distributor.

The relay T ensures that only a small part of each impulse acts on the selecting magnets. Its operation time is determined by the variable resistance Rt. The relay T is controlled by the contacts 11. and 0 of the relay interrupter and therefore receives current at each step of the distributor and actuates its contacts at the required instant for an adjustable limited period of time.

This arrangement works as follows:

The receiver is controlled by the line relay J, the single contact 7' of which is normally open. When the start impulse is received, the relay J drops and the contact 7' energises the relay VE through the variable resistance Re, the selecting magnet MA and the magnet HM. A locking circuit is closed for the relay VE at the contact vel and a locking circuit is closed for the magnet HM by the contact 17:22. a circuit for the relay interrupter N, 0- and the distributor driving magnet D so that the wipers oi the distributor are stepped on by one contact at intervals of 20 milliseconds.

The energisation of the selecting magnet MA is maintained at the contact 'ue4 should the contact j be prematurely opened. The wipers W2 to W to which the further selecting magnets MB-ME are connected are in each case displaced by one step. Each of these selecting magnets is energised when its wiper reaches the contact St. are therefore successively energised at intervals of 20 milliseconds. On energisation,each magnet closes two contacts and thus prepare locking circuits. Y

When the relay J is energised by the first sig- The contact 'ue3 closes The five selecting magnets MA-ME- na] impulse which follows the start impulse, theiollowing circuit is closed for magent RI.

contacts ve l, t, resistance Wz3, contact me! contact I of bank wiped by Wiper wl, wiper wl, magnet MA, 7 The energising current of the magnet MA is weakened by the resistance Wi3 to such an extent that the magnet is only just able to maintain its armature attracted. The contacts 7' and t are connected in parallel and the further energisation or tie-energisation of magnet MA is thus dependent upon both contacts. The relay T is dependent upon the contacts 71. and o of the relay interrupter N, O, and it opens its contact if for a period of 4 milliseconds at approximately the middle'of a received signal impulse. During this period the locking circuit for the magnet MA is dependent only upon the contact a. If the contact 7' is opened during this period, the magnet MA must drop and cannot be subsequently energised again. If, however, the contact 7' remains closed because no current is flowing in the line, the magnet MA is kept energised over the resistance Wi3 in spite of the opening of the contact t. During the next and subsequent steps of the wiper wl, the magnet MA is maintained fully energised over the contacts mat and ve l.

. The same thing happens with the selecting magnet MB which is energised by the contact ve l when the wiper w2 has made its first step. After the second step of this wiper, the magnet MBbecomes dependent upon the contact 7' so that it is kept energised while the contact if is open as long as the contact 7' is closed. The magnet is then maintained energised or de-energised as the case may be during the further steps made by the wiper 102. The selecting magnets MC-ME are controlled in the same manner. The instant at which the relay T is energised and the period during which it remains energised are determined by the setting of the resistance Rt. Alternatively, this relay can be provided with auxiliary windings. The resistance Wi3 so weakens the energisation of the selecting magnets that the magnets drop immediately the contact 1. opens as long as the contact :1 is open at this moment.

7 After the fifth step of the wipers, the relay A is energised through the wiper wl. Consequently,

the contact a energises the relay DR which looks itself in a circuit closed at its contact drl, opens 'the locking circuits for the relay Ve, and for the magnet AM at its contact drZ. The contact dr2' also energises the magnet DM. Each of the selecting magnets MA to ME controls a permutation member and the setting of these permutation members is ascertained by means of testing levers which are connected to type levers. The testing levers are held out of engagement with the permutation members when the magnet HM is. energised and are allowed to come into into engagement with them when the magnet I-IM de-energises. In the'latter event, one of the testing levers comes into the path of movement of a striking rail controlled by the magnet DN as a result of which the associated type lever is struck and the desired type is printed.

The two magnets HM and DM have different constants which are such that the magnet HM releases much more rapidly than the magnet DN attracts.

While the relay DR remains energised, the wipers of the distributor are stepped into the position St. The relay interrupter N, O and the magnet D- are then de-energised because the contact v63 has opened. The relay DR is deenergised when the contact dm opens on response of the magnet DM. The contact drZ then opens the circuit for the magnet DM.

Signals are thus recorded simultaneously with their transmission through the agency of a distributor making only six working steps.

We claim:

1. Telegraph apparatus comprising a line, a line relay connected to said line and controlled by code impulses received through said line, a plurality of selecting magnets each having two difierential windings, a rotary distributor having a plurality of Wipers and of sets of contacts and a plurality of circuits associated with each of said magnets and made successively effective for the associated magnet by said distributor, one of said circuits comprising one winding of said associated magnet and serving for the preliminary energisation of said magnet, a second circuit including the same of said windings, a resistance and a contact controlled by said magnet and serving to weaken the energisation of said magnet, a third circuit including the other of said windings, a further one of said wipers and a contact controlled by said line relay and a fourth circuit identical with said second mentioned circuit.

2. Telegraph apparatus as claimed in claim 1, comprising also an auxiliary relay controlled by said line relay and a further circuit for the. preliminary energization of the first of said selecting magnets including a contact controlled by said auxiliary relay and said contact controlled by said line relay.

3. Telegraph apparatus comprising a line, a line relay connected to said line and controlled by impulses received through said line, a plurality of selecting magnets, a distributor provided with a plurality of wipers and of sets of contacts wiped by said wipers, a magnet for intermittently stepping said wipers, a current impulse emitter for periodically energising said stepping magnet, a plurality of circuits made successively effective for said selecting magnets through said wipers and an auxiliary relay controlled by said current impulse emitter, one of said circuits for each selecting magnet including a contact controlled by said line relay and a contact controlled by said auxiliary relay and connected in parallel to said" last-mentioned cont-act.

4. Telegraph apparatus comprising a line, a line relay connected to said line and controlled by code impulses received through said line, a plurality of selecting magnets, a distributor having a plurality of wipers and a plurality of, sets of contacts wiped by said wipers, a driving magnet, for stepping said wipers, a current impulse emitter for periodically energising said driving magnet in a circuit including one of said sets of contacts and one of said wipers of said distributor, an auxiliary relay intermittently actuated by said current impulse emitter, a plurality of circuits made successively eiiective for each of said selecting magnets through said wipers and serving successively for the preliminary energisation of said selecting magnets, for maintaining said energisation in dependence upon said line relay and said auxiliary relay and for locking said magnets.

5. Telegrah apparatus comprising a line, a line relay connected to said line and controlled by code impulse received through said line, a distributor having a plurality of wipers displaced relatively to each other through one stepQand a plurality of sets of contacts wiped by said wipers, a, driving magnet for intermittently stepping said wipers, a current impulse emitter for periodically energising said driving magnet, an auxiliary relay periodically actuated by said current impulse emitter, a plurality of selecting ma nets connected one to each of said wipers, means controlled by said line relay for switching in said driving magnet and said current impulse emitter and a. plurality of circuits closed at successive contacts of said sets of contacts, when wiped by said Wipers and comprising a circuit for energising the associated selecting magnet, a circuit including a resistance,, a contact of said line relay and a contact controlled by said auxiliary relay and connected in parallel to said last-mentioned contact for weakening said energisation and making said energization dependent upon the impulse received through the line and a circuit including a'contact controlled by the associated selecting magnet for locking said selecting magnet as long as said magnet has not been de-energised by a received impulse.

6. Telegraph apparatus comprising a line, a line relay connected to said line and controlled by code impulses received through said line, a source of current, a plurality of selecting magnets, a distributor having a plurality of wipers connectedone .to each of said selecting magnets and a plurality of contact banks wiped each by one of said wipers, a magnet for stepping said wipers, a current impulse emitter for intermittently energising said stepping magnet, an auxiliary relay controlled by said impulse emitter, a plurality of circuits for controlling each of said selecting magnets and adapted to be closed successively when the wiper associated with a magnet wipes three successive contacts of its bank, the. first. of said circuits to be closed including the magnet and said current source and serving for thepreliminary energisatio-n of said magnet, the second including a pair of contacts connected in parallel one controlled by said line relay and the other by said auxiliary relay and the third including a. contact controlled by said selecting magnet for locking said magnet as long as said magnet has not, been. de-energised by a received impulse.

'7. Telegraph apparatus asclaimed in claim in which the wipers connected to the selecting magnets are displaced relatively to each other by one step.

8'. Telegraph apparatus comprising a line, a line relay connected to. said line and controlled by code impulses received through said line, a plurality of selecting magnets each controlling a, permutation member and contacts, a rotary distributor having a plurality of wipers and of sets of contacts, means controlled by said line relay for starting said distributor, means for driving said wipers of said distributor at constant speed, means controlled by said wipers on their rotation for preliminarily energising said Selecting magnets one after another, means controlled by said wipers on their rotation for causing a weakening of. the energisation of each, selecting magnet, means controlled by said wipers on their rotation for making the energisation of each selecting magnet one after the other dependent upon. the impulse received over the line at that moment. and means controlled by said wipers on their rotation for causing the locking of each selecting magnet asv long as said selecting magnet is not de-energised by said impulse.

9. Telegraph apparatus comprising a line, a

line relay connected to said line and controlled by code impulses received over said line, a rotary distributor having a plurality of angularly displaced wipers and of sets of contacts wiped by said wipers, a magnet for driving said wipers step by step, an impulse emitter for intermittently energising said driving magnet, an auxiliary relay intermittently energised by said impulse emitter, a plurality of permutation members, a plurality of selecting magnets each connected to one of said wipers and controlling said permutation members, a plurality of contacts controlled by said selecting magnets, each set of contacts wiped by a wiper connected to a selecting magnet comprising a first contact connected to a high potential by means controlled by said line relay whereby to cause said wiper when it rests upon said first contact to cause a preliminary energisation of said magnet, a second contact connected to a low potential over a pair of contacts connected in parallel and controlled, one by said line relay and the other by said auxiliary relay whereby to cause said preliminary energisation to be weakened and to make the energisation of said selecting magnet dependent upon a short portion of the received impulse when said wiper rests upon said second contact and a third contact adapted to be connected in a locking circuit for said selecting magnet by a contact controlled by by said selecting magnet.

MARTIN HEBEL.

KARL GUNDLFINGER. 

